Site Mobile Navigation

Traces of Explosive Found on Sunken S. Korean Ship

SEOUL, South Korea — Forensic experts investigating the wreckage of a South Korean warship that sank near the sea border with North Korea have found traces of an explosive component commonly used in torpedoes and mines, South Korea’s defense minister said Monday.

The 1,200-ton corvette, the Cheonan, sank on March 26 after a mysterious blast split the ship in half. The South Korean government has said a torpedo attack was the likely cause of the blast, and many South Koreans say they believe the North was responsible.

“It is true that traces of RDX, a chemical substance used in making torpedoes, have been found,” Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said Monday, referring to a component common to many military explosives. He said that there was “a high possibility” that a torpedo was the cause of the explosion, but that it was also too soon to conclude definitively that it was the cause.

The material was found on the ship’s smokestack and in samples of sand from the site of the sinking, said Rear Adm. Moon Byung-ok, a spokesman for the investigation team. He noted that RDX is also used in making mines.

During the briefing on Monday, neither Mr. Kim nor Admiral Moon mentioned North Korea. Forty-six South Korean sailors were killed or remain missing in the explosion.

A version of this article appears in print on May 11, 2010, on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: Explosives Traces Found In Sunken Ship. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe